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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. current — happening now
  4. mate — a partner
  5. board — a committee
  6. march — music
  7. drill — army training
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — in a race
  10. current — of water
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. current — electric
  13. fine — high quality
  14. drill — a practice
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — all right
  20. drill — the tool
  21. mate — to breed
  22. board — to get on
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mate — a friend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com